Method of effecting protection control in communication network and RPR apparatus

A resilient packet ring (RPR) apparatus for use in a communication network in which a bidirectional line-switched ring (BLSR) composed of a plurality of synchronous optical network (SONET) apparatus connected to one another to form a ring is connected with the RPR apparatus, each of the BLSR and the RPR apparatus having an independent protection function, the RPR apparatus comprising:

• a determining unit for determining whether an instruction indicating that the protection function of the BLSR should be prohibited from being activated is received or not;
• and
• an invalidating request outputting unit for outputting an invalidating request indicating that the protection function of the BLSR in the SONET apparatus should be invalidated if the determining unit determines that the instruction is received.

A resilient packet ring (RPR) apparatus for use in a communication network in which a bidirectional line-switched ring (BLSR) composed of a plurality of synchronous optical network (SONET) apparatus connected to one another to form a ring is connected with the RPR apparatus, each of the BLSR and the RPR apparatus having an independent protection function, the RPR apparatus comprising:

• a monitoring unit for monitoring whether or not the SONET apparatus within the communication network sends a request command to the RPR apparatus for activating the protection function;
• and
• a switching unit for carrying out switching operation enabling the protection function of the RPR apparatus to be activated if the monitoring unit determines that the SONET apparatus sends the request command to the RPR apparatus for activating the protection function of the RPR apparatus.

A synchronous optical network (SONET) apparatus for use in a communication network in which a bidirectional line-switched ring (BLSR) composed of the plurality of SONET apparatus connected to one another to form a ring is connected with a resilient packet ring (RPR) apparatus, each of the BLSR and the RPR apparatus having an independent protection function, the SONET apparatus comprising:

• a determining unit for determining whether or not an instruction instructing that the protection function of the BLSR should be invalidated is received from the RPR apparatus;
• and
• a switching unit for carrying out transferring processing on the instruction that the protection function of the BLSR should be invalidated, in accordance with the result of determination made by the determining unit.

A synchronous optical network (SONET) apparatus for use in a communication network in which a bidirectional line-switched ring (BLSR) composed of the plurality of SONET apparatus connected to one another to form a ring is connected with a resilient packet ring (RPR) apparatus, each of the BLSR and the RPR apparatus having an independent protection function, the SONET apparatus comprising:

• a determining unit for determining whether the switching mode that the protection function of the BLSR is halted is set or not;
• and
• an informing unit responding to a switching mode setting which makes the protection function of the BLSR be halted in accordance with the result of determination made by the determining unit, sending to the RPR apparatus an informing message indicating that this switching mode is set in the protection function of the BLSR, and thereby activating the protection function of the RPR apparatus.